Bottles such as two-liter beverage containers are typically shipped in trays or shipping crates, and are loaded manually onto a display rack, shelving unit, or refrigeration display unit at grocery stores or convenience stores for sale. Because the display rack or shelving unit typically does not advance bottles automatically, the display shelves must be periodically rearranged for properly advancing the bottles in order to maintain a neat and effective sales display. Also, the bottles may require reshuffling in order to achieve an appropriate product rotation so that bottles are dispensed generally in the same order in which they are loaded.
Most bottles, particularly plastic bottles, include a neck rim or ring adjacent the bottle cap. So-called "neck-trackers" are used in some refrigeration units for supporting the neck rings and automatically advancing the bottles for display as a result of gravity as bottles are dispensed. However, such neck trackers require rear-loading which is sometimes inconvenient.
It is desirable to provide a bottle storage container which may be used for shipping as well as displaying and dispensing the bottles for sale. It is also desirable to provide a display unit which is front-loaded to allow convenient loading in floor display arrangements. It is further desirable to provide such a bottle storage and display dispenser which receives and dispenses the bottles in an upright position to properly align the bottle labels for convenience in bottle handling.